Could've, Should've
by WolfAmongstSheep
Summary: What should've happened at the end of Children of the Damned. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm not giving you this book to you until she's standing next to me."

A crucial thought would not have bloomed in the darkness of Damon's mind had these feelings been spoken or expressed in a different manner. The impulsive plan that took miliseconds to form was only born because of one seemingly insignificant mistake.

The feeble challenge in Stefan's voice was all Damon heard as soon as the words left his mouth. Damon's strong arm practically wrapped around Elena's neck was not good incentive for Stefan to choose his words carefully, and Damon was not willing to be as forgiving as usual to his younger brother. A red haze coated his vision, his fangs elongated; Damon was as inhuman as he had ever been in his existence. Elena's soft lips had unwillingly sucked his wrist, and even though that action was meant to be saved for a sweeter moment, Damon would take what he could get in his half crazed state of mind.

"The fact is, _little brother_," Damon sneered, "I no longer trust you will do that. So give it here."

"_Damon_," Stefan's cool bravado had vanished and his mind was falling into a panic. Damon wouldn't actually- would he? "_**Please**_." Stefan was beginning to understand how rash his actions really were. He didn't have to offer to help Damon, he shouldn't have lied, and he definetly shouldn't have allowed Elena to be involved at all. His current situation was one only to be blamed by himself; he should have seen this coming. Damon give Elena what he hoped she would never become infected with and Stefan knew all too well he was not strong enough to stop it. A vampiress would be born, and he would not be able to face her when awoke from her death slumber knowing everything was his fault. Damon would win.

Stefan didn't know if giving the book to Damon would even stop him anymore. Releasing Katherine... Stefan didn't even want to think about how much he actually wanted it. He was in love with Elena, but Katherine had a bit of his heart that Elena could never even dream of obtaining. Stefan's feelings were solid, and they were not as easy to change as Damon's. Nevertheless, the other starving vampires that would come out along with Katherine were not what Stefan needed.

Being in control again was good for Damon. He no longer needed to rely on other people to get anything done. Elena was in his arms and she wasn't getting out anytime soon. Stefan may be holding the book, but Damon would have no problem retrieving it from him. Everything was as it should be, Damon at the top with his little brother underneath him.

"So now you need my cooperation?" Damon mocked. "Well, after you just spent the past few days plotting against your poor, trusting older brother of course I'll go easy on you!"

Stefan's eyes rimmed with red and the veins around them became more noticeable when he realized what was about to happen. Because of who he was, because of his morals, values, and the way he chose to live, he would lose the one thing he finally had to keep existing for.

"Damon," Elena rasped, "_please!_"

"You'll love it. This is what you've been craving Elena. This is exactly what you need!" Damon felt she should have some sort of acceptance to what was about to happen. "Your so called 'goodness' is hardly skin deep, and all it'll take is a little incentive for the tiger inside you to come out." Damon looked deep into Elena's eyes, "You look out for yourself. You're a predator in human skin. You're already a vampire."

He bent his head slightly, taking in the smell of Elena's hair. It was a subtle move that he made seem as though he was looking for a nice spot on her neck, but it was his way of retaining her human scent in his mind. Damon knew he would not miss it. He would be glad that her mind would be in a powerful encasement soon enough instead of the temporary sack of blood it currently resided in. He felt strong; powerful with her feeble body pressed against his. She was struggling, but his vamped up mind could barely tell. The little blood of his that was in her system made him feel connected to her, more so than usual; he would not let her go.

After the second he took to think this, Damon Salvatore snapped Elena Gilbert's neck and flew off into the night with her dead body.

**Is this okay ?I'm gonna continue and see how it goes; if I think up some oneshots, they'll be in The Decision Making .**


	2. Chapter 2

_Brown hair swished across her face as she gazed at the scene in front of her. Though she could not tell who she herself was, she had enough knowledge to judge what was going on in her blatantly dreamlike state. She saw two attractive men she felt as though she should recognize; two figures that are important to her. One of the men was holding a different version of her; a lesser one. The feeling she had when she looked on at herself struggling feebly at the vampiric man's hold was negative and she detested the weakness her body portrayed._

_**GET AWAY, GET AWAY, GET AWAY**, her old self thought in an ongoing chant._

_Confused, the girl turned away from the scene. Why would she want to get away from her saviour? Her creator? She sprinted away from the scene in the form of a black wolf, happy to be free of stupidity and restraints._

_Elena's subconscious accepted her new un-life._

"Well I guess that's what they mean by your life flashing before your eyes," a snarky voice said. "Or not."

What Elena believed to be the most killer headache in the history of ever continuously pounded on her head. She let a loud moan loose into the darkness, "What's going on? Why can't I see?"

"Well, you've gotta open your eyes first, sweetheart."

No light was shed into her line if vision as she found the nerves that enabled her eyes to open; strangely enough, this did not prove to be a problem for her eyesight. She seemed to be lying on a very soft and comfortable bed in homely room. The dust on all the objects in the room made it obvious no one had been there in a while and the windows were broken and boarded up. But what she saw in front of her with her perfect vision was the real surprise. "Damon?"

The smug smirk that somehow always found it's way to his face graced his lips, "At your service, milady."

But Elena was in no mood for games. Not with her body aching the way it did. "Ugh, my head's _killing_ me. What the hell happened?"

Elena blinked slowly, and when she opened her eyes again, Damon's arms were on either side of her and he was looking deep into her eyes. Elena immediately reached for her absent necklace and Damon, catching the movement, grinned.

"You're not gonna want that

anymore so I took the liberty if removing it," he looked at her innocently. "You know, with it being _vervain_ and all."

Elena narrowed her eyes, "What are talking-" for the first time she actually noticed her situation. She could see everything pristinely, she caught Damon's movement AND blinked in one moment, and ,although she felt extremely weak, she still felt as though she could throw a truck through a wall. Which is a weird feeling. "What happened?" she murmured.

"Well," Damon said, grin still in place, "I killed you."

"That's what I thought."

"That's it?" Damon looked disappointed.

"What?"

"No crying? Shouting? Raging about how mean I am?"

Elena just rolled her eyes, "You know what an asshole you are; you don't need me to tell you."

_This isn't good enough_, Damon thought. He felt cheated out of what he thought was the inevitable reaction. Elena must have been more ready for this life than he thought. _No matter I'll just fix it_.

"So you're not even the least bit upset about leaving your whole life behind?"

Elena looked confused. "I'm not leaving them behind. I'm not leaving Mystic Falls. I can make this work."

"Will you now?" Damon rolled his eyes, "Because I know that we're not staying."

"You're not the boss if me."

"Ah, ah, ah," Damon chastised, "older plus stronger equals boss of you."

Closing her eyes and laying back, Elena whispered, "No."

Damon stared straight at her with amusement from his position above her, "And it's even better now, I don't have to worry about you breaking!"

She ignored him.

_Hmph_.

"Although, " he continued, "I don't know why you'd care. Maybe because you're ex-junkie bro is finally pulling his life together? Or your aunt is starting to date? Or your poor, witchy friend has no idea what the hell to do with herself."

"Shut up."

Motivated further, Damon kicked it up a notch, "Or is it because you want to be around when Caroline whores around with even more guys, like your ex beau?" Finally ready to push her last button he finished with, "Or maybe you just wanna feel closer to your dead parents who died drunk. If they were alive now you could just eat them for lying to you about belonging in their family!"

"I said, _**SHUT UP**_!" Elena leaped from her position on the bed and landed gracefully on her feet posed for a fight. Baring her teeth and snarling viciously she was in full vampire mode. Considering the fact that she had yet to hunt, her mood depleted even faster.

But as she stared at Damon's satisfied face, another mood swing spread through her. She had never jumped so fast before. She has never been so graceful. She had never been so quick. And she had never felt so dangerous. Tears formed in her eyes as she brokenly sank out of her fighting stance and to her knees. The change in her strength was too much all at once and she felt her mind crashing.

Seeing Elena so disconnected made Damon think of his first days as a vampire, and he immediately felt repentant. He had adapted well after some time on his own, but threw his fair share of temper tantrums in the secluded forests. And that was without anyone goading him and ,also, prior acceptance to the life he knew he wanted to live. He figured it was good to feel repentant, he had caused all this after all.

Putting his arms around her he murmured, "Elena... c'mon it'll be fine. You'll like it."

She curled into him and latched onto his leather jacket, "Do you really think they were drunks?"

"You knew them better than I."

"I don't feel like I knew them at all after I found out about..."

Damon stroked her hair and nestled his face in her soft, silky hair. "That doesn't matter. And judging by how you turned out, I wouldn't put money on then being alcoholics."

Elena leaned into him, enjoying the closeness, "Why'd you say that stuff?"

"I don't know. I wanted to."

Deciding that was the best answer she was going to get, Elena asked a different question. "You know what you said when I woke up? About my life flashing before my eyes?"

"Mhm." Damon closed his eyes and inhaled her scent."

"How'd you know what I was dreaming?"

"I was watching them while I waited for you to wake up."

Elena's mood deflated. "So you can still read my mind?" she asked sourly.

Damon chuckled, "Yep, but maybe you'll be strong enough to keep me out after you feed." Damon wouldn't tell her about his surprise after she flung him off of her before. She hadn't fed yet and if she was that strong now... One thing was for sure, Stefan could not compare to Elena so far. "C'mon let's get going. We don't want anybody catching up to us and you need to feed." Damon stood up; pulling her from his lap.

"Who's following us?"

Damon glanced at her, surprised, as he started to leave the room, "What? You thought Stefan would just leave you to his big, bad, older brother? Sure he needs his time to brood and mope, but I'm a bad influence on you."

"Who's Stefan?"

"Just what I like to hear."

"Seriously," Elena racked through her mind for the information she just didn't seen to have, "_Who's Stefan_?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Interesting," Damon said. "What happened on your first day back to school?"

Elena looked confused, "I don't see how that-"

"Just answer the question."

She thought for a moment. "I hung out with Bonnie and Caroline, broke up with Matt...and...I did something else," Elena panicked, "I can't remember what I did!"

Damon smirked, "Maybe you're repressing bad memories."

"What bad memories?"

Instead of answering the question, like usual, Damon fired back with one of his own, "How did you meet me?"

Elena looked even more puzzled. "I came here and met you by accident."

"And why did you come here?"

Even more frustrated now, Elena answered the question to the best of her knowledge, "I came to see someone... I think?"

Damon thought for a moment, then decided he just didn't care about what happened to her memories of Stefan during her change. He grabbed a backpack off of a chair and motioned for Elena to follow him out of the house. "Well hopefully you won't get those unpleasant memories back. Now, let's get out of here." Damon looked around innocently, "I don't even know _what_ here is."

As the sleek, black car pulled up to the Salvatore boarding house, Elena's mind got even more jumbled. "Why are we here? I thought you said we were leaving."

"Why is it always questions with you? Now I'm saying we're gonna stay." Damon disappeared into the house leaving Elena alone with her thoughts for a moment before he called, "Are you coming or what?" from inside.

Elena strolled inside, deciding she would get used to her new grace before her new speed. "So I'm allowed to stay in my house, right?" Elena rolled her eyes, annoyed with the prospect of having to ask permission to live in her own house.

"If you can get used to the smell of blood pumping through bodies while you're trying to sleep." Damon said. "Of course, you're always welcome here."

Elena studied the seemingly genuine smile on Damon's face with narrowed eyes, "I can make it work."

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," Damon smirked. "Unless I say otherwise of course." Elena need to know that in such an early stage of vampireness he would still be in charge. He doubted that she would want to leave later in even when she was stronger. Anyway, even though he wouldn't tell Elena, he was protecting her from losing control and killing the whole town. At least, that's what he told himself to keep himself from thinking he actually cared.

"Whatever," Elena started to walk towards the living room. Her killer headache was still present and she felt as though she would faint. But Damon's arm stopped her and snaked around her waist as tension filled the air. Elena leaned against Damon's chest and stared blankly at the stiff figure now in front of them.

"Elena," it breathed. Elena was too weak to care about the situation and closed her eyes.

"Stefan," Damon greeted. "Not that I don't just love seeing you and all, but right now Elena's hungry."

"I'll take her."

"That's not a good idea," Damon sneered, "not only is she new and needs some real blood- well there's another problem that I'm sure you'll notice later when she's more decent."

"What-" but Stefan didn't get a chance to finish his question; Damon picked Elena up and ran out the door.

C'mon, Elena, snap out of it," Damon lightly tapped Elena's face and she opened her eyes to aloud atmosphere and strobe lights. "Don't let the feeling take over you."

Surprisingly, Elena listened to him and stood up on her own. She looked perfectly awake and aware of the world, but Damon knew how weak she must feel. "Are we in a bathroom?" Elena asked skeptically as she noticed her surroundings.

"Yes," Damon replied. "I wanted to make sure your first time was fun!"

"By taking me to a club?"

Damon smirked mischievously, "It's like having a cocktail."

Elena paled even more as Damon started to usher her out the door. "You'll do fine. Just remember, don't go for the fat drunk guys," Damon shuddered, "all that cholesterol, yuggh!" He shoved her towards the crowd and disappeared to find his own meal.

Even as a human, Elena had never been somewhere like this. The volume, crowds, and drunken people never appeased to Elena and were never her scene. But the smell of warm blood gushing through so many veins was starting to make her reconsider."

"Hey, pretty lady," a broad man slurred as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Well hey there," Elena smirked coyly as she let her fangs peek out. She was discovering her element. Everything was so easy; she knew everything she could say or do to get the perfect reaction out of him. Elena decided she _could_ have fun with this, it was the perfect way to let go and just relax.

"What's an incredibly attractive thing like you doing all by yourself?"

Elena pulled on her best damsel in distress face. "Well, I did come here with someone, but he left and I don't know where he went. Now I'm all alone..."

The man smiled and almost tripped in his drunken haze, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

Elena turned around in his arms and put her own arms around his neck. She leaned in until her her lips where practically touching his. "Why don't we take this outside." She grabbed his hand and dragged him outside into an alley; he was too drunk to really care as long as his little problem growing in his pants was fixed.

Elena backed him up against a wall as he clumsily attacked her mouth. She enjoyed being the one in control for once; backing someone against a wall instead of being backed against one felt so much better. She could do whatever she wanted to this human and he couldn't do anything about it. He continued to kiss her and she grew more and more aware of his blood; she just couldn't hold back anymore. As the man started to kiss her neck and unbutton her torn shirt she bit into his neck and experienced pure ecstasy. The feeling was so intense, so inexplainable. There was just no way anyone could imagine the feeling of warm blood dripping down your throat if you had never experienced it as a vampire, just like you cannot explain sex to those who had never experienced it. Elena continued in her haze of power and delight and, in that moment, there was just nothing else in the world.

It wasn't until there was nothing left but a cold body in her arms that she realized he was dead.

**Thank you for all the reviews! I'm really sorry about all the confusion is this chapter and that there isn't a plot right now, but it'll start to show soon. **


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh _shit," _Elena screeched to herself as she dropped the dead body in panic and immediate disgust. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh _**shit**_."

"You know, ladies shouldn't use that kind of language," Damon's playful voice came out of the shadows. "But that was an excellent kill, if I do say so myself."

Elena rounded on him, furious that he could be so glib about her taking another person's life. "How can you say something like that?! Why'd you let me kill him, weren't you watching me the whole time?"

Damon rolled his eyes, "Um, hello, I'm Damon Salvatore, vampire extraordinaire. Elena's _boss _and not her _babysitter."_

Damon's reaction to the situation did not improve Elena's mood at all and she grew increasingly angry. Ever since the Salvatores had come into her life, death had been on every corner. Well, even if _they_ were so used to it, _she_ refused to be so nonchalant about the end of another living thing. And where did he get off, telling her he was her boss? If he wasn't gonna help her deal with this what would being her boss entail? Just making sure she couldn't run away, no doubt.

As Elena continued to think about the situation, she grew more and more angry. Damon's amused eyes continued to watch her, and her vampire side came out from hiding. But as Elena's eyes strayed away from his increasingly annoying face, she caught her reflection in a puddle in the alleyway. Her narrowed eyes were rimmed with red, and veins were visible around them. She looked like a true vampire and it scared her. When she realized her anger towards Damon was really just for her own carelessness, her expression immediately softened and tears gathered in her eyes, though her previous anger was still visible. She sank to her knees and covered her face, unwilling to let Damon see her in such a state. Even her fangs had protruded in her fury.

Damon smiled genuinely and kneeled down beside her. He peeled her hands away from her face and put his own on both sides of her head. "Never hide who you are. Especially from me." He glided his finger under her eyes and stroked the area. Almost at once the redness and veins sank back into her flesh. His hands continued their way down and he lightly touched her fangs. "You are beautiful. This is nothing to be ashamed of. This is the _best._ This is _right_."

A tiny, shy smile appeared on Elena's face and it gradually grew bigger, as if showing off her enlarged canines. Damon, rapt with Elena's allure and predatory features, couldn't help but get distracted by it. He couldn't help but get distracted by her sparkling eyes, that turned devious in seconds. Or the way she tried to preserve her humanity, when really she never had any to begin with. He continued to notice the way she looked like she was born for vampirism, like she was incomplete before it. Her skin; now at an immaculate and fitting paleness. Her hair; gentle curls and shine replaced the artificial straightness that was always present in her human days. Damon couldn't help but pull Elena closer, lean in, and close the distance between their lips.

The kiss was soft and brief. Elena was surprised at first, but she quickly melted into it in response. She felt as though she had been waiting her whole life for this and this was the first taste she was getting. As they both got hungrier and hungrier for each other, the kiss grew fiercer and fiercer. Soon Elena was the one backed up against the wall and Damon was in control, as always. They both couldn't get enough of the simple kiss and, even though they both were aware of themselves wanting more, they pulled away from each other.

"Well," Damon said, that everlasting smirk still in place, "time to go meet Stefan!" He frowned in confusion and said, "Again."

Damon had convinced Elena to wait quietly outside so he could explain the situation.

"Now, little brother," Damon began calmly, "you have to be a perfect gentleman and be rational about this. This isn't easy for anyone." Damon rethought that, "Well, except for me."

Stefan just looked frustrated, "Damon what are you talking about? Where's Elena?"

"I asked her to wait outside."

"_Why_?"

"Because you should be introduced to the situation before it's thrown at you."

Stefan threw up his hands, "Well, _what the hell is the situation?_"

"You know, if you keep being rude, I might just change my mind and throw the situation at you."

Elena had enough of this; she was getting impatient. She appeared at the door with her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed at Damon. "Oh, _enough_, Damon. He's not a child."

Damon threw his hands up in the air, mocking Stefan's earlier position, "And here come the situation."

Stefan, on the other hand, was ecstatic to see Elena alive (ish) and well. "Elena!" he shouted running over to her and throwing his arms around her.

Damon sighed in mock frustration and put his hand to his brow, "No one ever listens to me. This can't end well." He leered at them and strolled out of the room to give them 'privacy'.

In the beginning, Stefan took no notice of Elena's tentativeness towards and stiffness him. "I apologize profusely. That night... it wasn't supposed to go that way. You shouldn't be this way, I should have saved you. And I wasn't even there to see you feed1" Stefan just kept on rambling, not noticing Elena's bafflement. "I just was so... confused. I didn't know if you'd-"

"Stop!" Elena shouted, scrambling out of his arms and putting her hands on her head. "Just stop."

"Elena? What's wrong?"

"I just- I can't," Elena moaned sitting on the couch.

Stefan followed her and sat down beside her, "Can't what? What are you talking about? Do you feel okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," Elena sighed and looked straight at Stefan's green eyes. "Look I don't know if you're supposed to be some important figure or something in my life, but, long story short, _I don't know who you are!_"

Stefan's eyebrows pulled together, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can't remember you from my human life."

"_**What?!**_"

"I told you, situation!" Damon called from the other room before he sauntered back in, leaning on the doorway.

"But- but she remembers you!" Stefan pointed out looking at Damon.

"Weird, right?" Damon laughed gleefully. "She remembers every situation, it's just as though you were never there!"

"Hello, I'm right here!" Elena pointed out, growing annoyed.

Stefan turned back to Elena, "What do you know about the graveyard."

Rolling her eyes, Elena answered, "I only know that I was there for the grimoire before Damon showed up and," she gestured to herself, "this happened."

"I was there. Digging in the grave."

"Well, I don't remember that obviously."

Stefan's expression closed off and he stood up, "Elena, can I come see you later? I assume you'll be at you're house?"

"Yeah, and sure," Elena look pityingly at Stefan.

"I just need to sort some things out." And with that, he left.

"Well," Damon started, "t hat was dramatic. It's like a soap opera 24/7." He grabbed Elena's hand and started to lead her out the house again, "Now lets go get you settled in."


End file.
